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Russian Cultural Center Hosts Chinese Journalists in Beijing

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On February 6, 2026, the Russian Cultural Center in Beijing (北京俄羅斯文化中心) held a New Year media exchange event, at which center director Tatiana Urzhumtseva (吴丹娜), a Russian embassy counselor, presented certificates of appreciation to Chinese media outlets including Xinhua News Agency, People’s Daily Overseas Edition, Global Times Online, China Youth Daily, China.com, Sina, and the Hong Kong-based Zhongwai News Agency (中外新闻社), an official news service launched by the Hong Kong SAR government in 2001 with a bureau in Beijing. Urzhumtseva stated that in 2025 the center held over 300 events with more than 150,000 participants, co-published more than 9,000 content items with media partners, and reached over 22 million people online. She noted that 2026 marks the launch of the “China-Russia Education Year” (中俄教育年).

Sobh-e Sahel

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Sobh-e Sahel (صبح ساحل) is an Iranian regional newspaper based in Hormozgan Province, in the southern part of the country. Founded in 1985, it began publishing as a weekly after receiving a licence from Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. The paper focuses on local news across Iran’s southern coastal region. Its coverage spans economics, protests, and public safety.

Chinese Embassy in Iran

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The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Iran (中華人民共和國駐伊朗伊斯蘭共和國大使館) is China’s chief diplomatic mission in the country. The mission was established on August 16, 1971, when China and Iran formally established diplomatic relations with Iran –  a significant shift, as Iran had previously recognized the Republic of China (ROC) government in Taiwan. The embassy serves as the primary channel for political, economic, and cultural relations between the two countries.

Darya News

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Darya News (دریا نیوز) is an Iranian online news outlet founded in 2006 and based in Hormozgan Province in southern Iran. The outlet covers political, cultural, sports, and social news with a focus on Iran’s southern provinces. Alongside its website, Darya News maintains a social media presence on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, and Telegram. As of March 2026, the outlet was led by owner and editor-in-chief Yaqoub Dabiri Nejad.

Beijing Huanet Zhixun Information Co., Ltd.

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Beijing Huanet Zhixun Information Co., Ltd. is the operating company behind China.com (中華網), established on December 8, 2017, and registered in the Chaoyang District of Beijing. Its registered capital is 13.33 million yuan. The company has two shareholders: Ningbo Yurui Investment Co., Ltd. (宁波宇瑞投资有限公司), holding 75 percent, and Guoguang Huanqiu Media Holdings Co., Ltd. (国广环球传媒控股有限公司), holding 25 percent. Ningbo Yurui Investment is itself a member of the Ningbo-based Yurui Investment (宇瑞投资) group. The legal representative and chairman of Beijing Huanet was Ren Hangzhong (任杭中) as of February 2026. The company reported 48 employees in its 2024 annual filing.

Rossotrudnichestvo

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Rossotrudnichestvo — formally the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation — is a Russian federal executive body operating under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, established by presidential decree on September 6, 2008. Its stated mandate is to promote Russian language, culture, and education abroad and to support Russian compatriots overseas. It maintains a global network of approximately 97 “Russian Houses” across 70 countries. Critics and independent analysts describe it as Russia’s primary instrument for soft power projection and hybrid influence, disseminating Kremlin narratives under the cover of cultural exchange. In July 2022, the European Union placed Rossotrudnichestvo under sanctions for running what the bloc described as a network of “agents of influence” spreading Kremlin narratives.

China.com

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China.com is a comprehensive internet media platform operated by Beijing Huanet Zhixun Information Co., Ltd. (北京華網智訊信息有限公司), launched in May 1999 as one of China’s earliest portal websites. Its two shareholders are Ningbo Yurui Investment Co., Ltd. (宁波宇瑞投资有限公司), holding 75.0002 percent, and Guoguang Huanqiu Media Holdings Co., Ltd. (国广环球传媒控股有限公司), holding 24.9998 percent. In July 1999 it became the first China concept stock listed on NASDAQ, followed by a listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Growth Enterprise Market in 2000. Following a dispute over a Valuation Adjustment Mechanism, it was delisted from NASDAQ in 2011 and acquired by Guoguang Huanqiu Media Holdings in 2013. After a revamp in 2021, the platform established 23 multilingual sites across 24 languages, reaching 1.63 million overseas users. Its channels cover news, military affairs, and finance. 

Home and Abroad News Press

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Home and Abroad News Press is a Hong Kong-based news and publishing institution established on March 8, 2001, with approval from the Hong Kong SAR government. It is currently operating under Home and Abroad News Press (Hong Kong) Company Limited (中外新聞社(香港)有限公司), incorporated on July 6, 2011, one of several Hong Kong corporate vehicles of a similar name under which the agency has operated. It publishes Zhongwai News magazine and operates the Zhongwai News Network. Its correspondent network spans 49 countries and regions, with branch offices in more than ten countries including the United States, Japan, Canada, Germany, France, and Australia. In 2006, the agency claimed designation as a “mainstream outlet for external propaganda” (对外宣传主流媒体) by three organizations describing themselves as UN-affiliated bodies, though independent verification of those bodies’ UN status has not been established. “External propaganda,” or waixuan (外宣), is a term used in official CCP discourse to refer to the role of state media in communicating the agendas of the Party-state. The agency received approval to report from Taiwan in 2010 and established a Beijing bureau in 2011 with authorization from the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office.

Russian Cultural Center

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The Russian Cultural Center in Beijing (北京俄羅斯文化中心) is an overseas representative office of Rossotrudnichestvo, Russia’s Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation, operating under the jurisdiction of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Founded in 2010 following a Russian-Chinese intergovernmental agreement on the mutual opening of cultural centers, the center officially opened on September 28, 2010, with then-President Dmitry Medvedev as its first visitor. In September 2025, the center celebrated its 15th anniversary at a new location. Its stated mission is to promote Russian language, culture, and education in China. Rossotrudnichestvo was placed under EU sanctions in July 2022 for running what the bloc described as a network of “agents of influence” spreading Kremlin narratives; in January 2023, Berlin prosecutors launched a preliminary investigation into its German representative office, Russky Dom, over potential violations of sanctions law. Tatiana Urzhumtseva serves as director.